Liz Cheney joined her parents on a trip to the Middle East in March 2008.

(CNN) - Liz Cheney is picking up where her father left off when it comes to taking aim at the Obama administration, saying Tuesday the new commander-in-chief appears to be siding with terrorists.

In an interview on Fox News, the daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney sharply criticized the new administration for agreeing to release photographs depicting alleged abuses at U.S. prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration.

"I think it is really appalling that the administration is taking this step," she said in the interview. "Clearly what they are doing is releasing images that show American military men and woman in a very negative light."

"I have heard from families of service members from families of 9/11 victims this question about when did it become so fashionable for us to side, really, with the terrorists," she continued. "You know, President Obama has a lot of rhetoric about support for American military families, support for our men and women who are fighting for us overseas. But if he really cares about them, then he wouldn't be making such an effort to release photos that show them in a negative light."

Late last month, Pentagon officials said the hundreds of photographs released are from more than 60 criminal investigations from 2001 to 2006, and show military personnel allegedly abusing detainees. But the officials rejected allegations by the American Civil Liberties Union that the photos show a systemic pattern of abuse by the military.

In her interview Monday, Cheney also echoed recent calls from her father for the Obama administration to release classified documents detailing information yielded from the aggressive interrogation techniques since denounced by the president.

"They seem only to be interested in releasing things that really paint American in a negative light and don't give the American people a full picture of what went on," she said.

soundoff(300 Responses)

Liz Cheney should be criticized as strongly for her comments that Pres. Obama is siding with terrorists as Wendy Sykes was for calling out Rush Limbaugh.

Both Cheneys are now proudly declaring before the world that they condon breaking national and international law!

Cheney contends that illegally torturing people saved perhaps 100 thousands of lives; if that were true I doubt that these amazing occurances would have gone unannounced.

Thus far Cheney has refused to testify under oath and in public so anything he says is so much hot air. It is also known that videos and other documentation has been destroyed.

May 12, 2009 05:23 pm at 5:23 pm |

Eric

Cheney wants to have it both ways on this. They want you to show what we learned which would some how justify what they did- but they don't want you to know what they did. But the info- if it is valuable should remain classified or it loses it's value.

I also think this is a bluff- they know Obama will not release this for two reasons. If you release the valuable info it makes the country less safe- and also- there's probably not a lot of valuable info that came from the torturing. She can criticize knowing full well that info will not be released.

Who is she by the way again- what has Liz Cheney ever accomplished? Her father should be tar and feathered for what he did to this country. He's a first rate coward and liar.

May 12, 2009 05:23 pm at 5:23 pm |

Aaron

The pictures do not show our service men and women in a negative light. It shows them following orders of the Bush Administration. They were ordered to torture prisoners and unfortunately that is what they did. Even more unfortunate is that some of these brave soldiers were demoted, convicted and jailed for these acts. All the while the leaders who ordered them to do this can go on TV and brag about having knowledge of the situations.

May 12, 2009 05:25 pm at 5:25 pm |

Dan

The issue lies with the fact that holding the photos from the public constitutes siding with the soldiers and guards who abused the prisoners . I'm not siding with terrorists, by any means, but the public deserves the right to view the military as it is – not as a perfect system that it isn't. Again, don't get me wrong, every service man and woman has my utmost respect, but presenting only positive images of soldiers seems to propaganda-esque. Soldiers are people, and all people are not perfect, and we can't expect 100% of them to be either. We just have to trust that they are better than the rest of us.

May 12, 2009 05:25 pm at 5:25 pm |

Ceasar - Las Vegas

"They seem only to be interested in releasing things that really paint American in a negative light and don't give the American people a full picture of what went on," she said.

The intent is not to paint Americans in a negative light, Ms. Cheney. It is to uncover the truth and show the american people how their previously elected government went rogue and violated the law. It is also to show the world that not all americans share your and your father's views of how America should conduct itself in times of crises.

May 12, 2009 05:26 pm at 5:26 pm |

Michelle

"a very negative light?" What ever happened to personal accountability? Responsibility? All those other things that you right-wingers love to get sanctimonious about when it's not YOU getting busted doing something reprehensible? It is in NO WAY "siding with the terrorists" to hold criminals to account for their criminal action. They did it! It was wrong! They should pay!

Liz Cheney, I used to have a little respect for you, thinking you were a private individual in a rough position due to the identity of your dad-but no more. If you believe this crap you're talking, you're as much an amoral hypocrite as dear old dad.

May 12, 2009 05:26 pm at 5:26 pm |

Towanda 54

jcow May 12th, 2009 4:55 pm ET

If Barak or Michelle Obama ever comes to our base and says that they supports military families I will turn my back and walk away. Words are cheap, their actions speak much louder than their words.

Is that how you've been taught to address your commander in chief? You can't even spell his name right, for goodness sakes. Turn your back on your country, that's the kind of soldier we don't need!

May 12, 2009 05:27 pm at 5:27 pm |

Scott

She should just be glad her father isnt facing charges for not only war crimes but treason

May 12, 2009 05:27 pm at 5:27 pm |

thnkb4uspk

I never saw Cheney during past few years...I thought he'd died and they had propped him in a corner somewhere. NOW, he decides it's time to talk to us. Go back to your dark little room, Dickie. We have had enough of your arrogance.

May 12, 2009 05:27 pm at 5:27 pm |

Big J

When the GOP was busy gay bashing in 2004, VP Cheney didn't even have the fortitude to stand up for his daughter. But now his own RUMP is in the cat-bird seat, this guy won't shut up.

May 12, 2009 05:27 pm at 5:27 pm |

Joy

And this is the same administration that doesn't have a problem putting a needle into the head of a full term unborn baby and sucking its brains out. Torture? I think so. But to protect the lives of Americans, waterboarding is not allowed? Twisted minds with no common sense.

May 12, 2009 05:28 pm at 5:28 pm |

Don from Maine

Ridicuous, If holding people responsible for their illegal actions is siding with terrorists then perhaps Liz Cheney needs a lesson in morality as well as terrorism tactics. She could probably use the morality lesson as her father surely isn't a role model for that. Contrary to what they Cheneys think we are not better off ofr using torture nor is the world a safer place because of it. WHen one person is tortured humanity as a whole suffers. Please Cheneys ride off into the sunset with whaT LITTLE DIGNITY YOU HAVE LEFT. Trying to repair America's reputation in the global community is not siding with terrorists. Bringing inot the light of day all of the things that the past administration kept in the dark is not siding with terrorists. And finally whiile Liz Cheney is entitled to her opinion and entitled to voice it normal people can just put it in perspective as the ranting and ravings of someone with no moral compass or upbringing. Be glad Liz that your dad has not been indicted. Both of you need to crwl back under the rock that you came out from under. And thank you CNN for allowing me to voice my opinion.

May 12, 2009 05:28 pm at 5:28 pm |

Chere

I beleive all the soldiers in this illegal war should be water boarded along with dick Cheney and Bush. Every one of these soldiers committed attrocities on the Iraq people. You hateful blood hungry soldiers need to pay for what you did.

May 12, 2009 05:28 pm at 5:28 pm |

Sharon - NC

Not surprising that she feels this way. Embarrassing for her father. What is surprising is why it is reported. And why we are supposed to care what she thinks. I'm sure my next door neighbor has an opinion as well, but I don't see any journalists.

May 12, 2009 05:29 pm at 5:29 pm |

Barbara

Dick Cheney will always be the release of one torture tape away from a trip to the Hague. And I am sure someone, somewhere has one of those tapes, despite reports that they were destroyed. This misguided man, whose decisions destroyed his co-presidency with George Bush, and whose policies our own CIA said inspired more terrorists than they could capture or kill, has done untold damage to America's reputation. And the main reason he is speaking out is not for our safety but to save his skin, because, in his heart, he knows he is a war criminal, and that the long arm of the law will eventually get him.

May 12, 2009 05:29 pm at 5:29 pm |

once upon a horse

for the past 8 years I can't recall hearing much about or from Liz Cheney and all of a sudden you can't keep a camera or mike away from any of them. I think it's all a ploy to keep Americans from focusing on the REAL deal that Cheney is guilty and trying to cover it and has anybody in his circle cover for him. Only his far right supporters with his less than 20% approval rating seem to be falling for it.

May 12, 2009 05:29 pm at 5:29 pm |

Va 4 Obama

Why is what any of the Cheney's have to say relevent? Apparently the WHOLE family subscribes to FEARMONGERING!! The American people voted for President Obama because we wanted change. We prefer to engage in negotiating with the rest of the world instead of needlessly declaring war on any and everyone who disagrees with us! I am sick to death of hearing from Dick Cheney and any of his clueless relatives. Really Cheney should be thankful he's not in jail and keep his big trap shut!!!

May 12, 2009 05:30 pm at 5:30 pm |

Terry

We should release the picks... Our country is not a Terroist Union and we should watch the way we behave... You idiots think the Terroist just woke up one morning and said we hate the U S... No.. We created an enemy and now we have at war when we didn't even have to be in this situation..... Now we are trying to make a mends...

May 12, 2009 05:30 pm at 5:30 pm |

Jeff

Yes, clearly it is the pictures that are the problem, not the fact that the abuses actually occurred.

There's no reasoning with sociopaths.

May 12, 2009 05:30 pm at 5:30 pm |

SirBroiler

Okay, Liz. I think the last thing your father and the former President want is for "the American people to get the full picture of what went on."

That is when we'll all finally see that they sided with big oil and private business when they marched the military into Iraq, costing thousands of American lives – many more than were lost on 9/11.

We'll see the administration, creating false evidence of a weapons of mass destruction program in Iraq to justify a war that had been planned by radical conservatives years before Bush even took office.

We'll see that Bush/Cheney tarnished the American reputation when they authorized torture in violation with U.S. and International Law.

We will see that they looked the other way, while soldiers were abusing prisoners of war in Iraq, Guantánamo, and elsewhere around the world.

We'll get that clear picture of Osama Bin Laden, sneaking off to safety in the Afghan/Pakistan mountains, because our military was entrenched deep into a war in the wrong country.

Trust me Liz, America can't wait to get the full picture of what went on. The ends will never justify the means – no matter what information was yielded.

May 12, 2009 05:31 pm at 5:31 pm |

Harriet

Liz Cheney is blinded by the fact that Dick Cheney is her father. She was on Morning Joe today and she was absolutely rude. The apple does not fall far from the tree.

The Cheneys are delusional when it comes to war. They start wars, promote wars, but never serve and do spend their time comforting or fighting for the benefits for those who have.

Cheney – Remember Walter Reed before the mid-term elections and the Democrats called attention to the filthy conditions and the lack of care that our brave men and women faced whent sent there.

How about our servicemen and women serving three terms? How about the wars that are killing people and have nearly economically broken our country? How about Blackstone? How about Haliburterton profits?

Why would any of us listen to Liz or Dick?

May 12, 2009 05:31 pm at 5:31 pm |

Diane, IN

The American military would not have been in a "negative light" if her father hadn't directed them to do the crime. She is an airhead and her father is an idiot if he thinks he's going to try and rewrite history.

We were not born yesterday. He's a criminal and everyone knows it.

Yesterday I heard him say "we are trying to....", instead of "we were trying to....." This man thinks he's still in office. He's crazy.

May 12, 2009 05:31 pm at 5:31 pm |

dan

Wow. Just when I thought the Cheney's couldn't get any more out of touch.

Keep it up Dick and Liz, You make me want to scream 'YES WE CAN' even louder...

love, an Obama American and loving it

May 12, 2009 05:31 pm at 5:31 pm |

Concerned Citizen

It is bad enough the President is going from nation to nation on an apology tour but releasing the pictures is just wrong. Not only does it give me pause when thinking about the administration's sanity but releasing the pictures endangers the lives of all service men and women especially the ones in the pictures. More importantly it also endangers the lives of their families. What were you thinking Mr. President?!

May 12, 2009 05:32 pm at 5:32 pm |

Patricia T.

Remember during the Bush Adminstration, when we were told by Ari Fleischer to be careful about what we said? When we were reminded that to speak out against the president was unpatriotic? That asking questions are emboldening the terrorists? Now, you've got Cheney and daughter (and others) who do not hesitate to say the most despicable things about Obama and defend what happened during the last eight years. People who seem to say that while we waterboarded, that's not torture. Twisted logic, at best.

I think our country is always at its best when we feel free to ask questions, look critically at who are are and what we stand for, and then make corrections if necessary. If that's "siding with the terrorists" (whatever that means), God help us all. The years of fear are over, Ms. Cheney. With all due respect, the election sent us a different direction, and I believe you should just give the new administration a chance. Not in a million years could they do a fraction of the damage that Bush/Cheney did in eight.